Saturday, October 15, 2005

I didn't realize that C.I. was doing some volunteer work today. I read The Common Ills this morning and thought, "Huh?" :D Where's Ruth? Where's what's on Laura Flanders? Where's the headlines from Democracy Now? Kat grabbed Flanders and posted Maria's rundown of the headlines. Hope C.I.'s done in time to join us for The Third Estate Sunday Review. But if C.I. runs late that's cool. We need to get more involved in our communities and "we" includes me.

Here's Maria's entry and I enjoy reading what she picks in English but I also like reading through the Spanish at the top and seeing how much I can pick out from having listened to Democracy Now! all week and the little bit of Spanish I know.

Friday, October 14, 2005

Good evening. I'm putting up another cartoon by Isaiah. This "The World Today Just Nuts" focuses on Senator Bill Frist who was a lonely wall flower when Isaiah drew this and he is one now due to his stock sales. Rebeccawrote about Senator Meow Meow yesterday. She calls him Meow Meow cause he used to experiment on cats in med school. He'd apparently go to animanl pounds and take out some cats, but not to give them a home, just to use them for expeirements. We'll start off with Democracy Now!

Bush Videoconference With Troops StagedIt has emerged that President Bush's nationally televised videoconference with US troops in Tikrit, Iraq on Thursday was scripted beforehand. The White House had painted the event as an impromptu conversation with the troops, but video from the satellite feed before the event gave lie to those claims. The ten US soldiers and one Iraqi were coached in their answers before the event by Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Allison Barber. She stood at the White House podium where Bush would later stand, she read part of his opening remarks and then proceeded to outline the questions Bush would ask. At times, she suggested phrasing for the soldiers' responses. With the referendum on Iraq's constitution just days away and President Bush's popularity plummeting, the White House clearly wanted this event to give the impression that the US plan in Iraq was moving forward.President Bush, "You defeat a backwards dark philosophy with one that is hopeful. And that hopeful philosophy is one that is based on universal freedom. I'm very impressed at the Iraqi government to have a constitution that attracts Sunnis, Shias and Kurds. They worked hard to get a constitution and now the people of Iraq are going to get to vote again, on a constitution."During the brief videoconference, the handpicked soldiers appeared to fawn over the president. At one point, one told him,"We began our fight against terrorism in the wake of 9/11, and we're proud to continue it here." But a telling moment came when Bush asked the soldiers to comment about their interactions with Iraqi civilians and Captain David Williams could only cite a second hand account:Capt. David Williams, "Sir, I was with my Iraqi counterpart in the city of Tikrit last week, and he was going around talking to the locals. And from what he told me that the locals told him, the Iraqi people are ready and eager to vote in this referendum."The videoconference was set in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, which Bush lightly acknowledged he could not safely visit. Interestingly, Tikrit was the backdrop for many of Saddam Hussein's propaganda videos. There was one Iraqi present for the videoconference, Sergeant major Akeel, whose only role was to tell President Bush "I like you."When it emerged that the event was staged, reporters grilled White House spokesperson Scott McClellan, asking him directly about the coaching:MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm sorry, are you suggesting that what our troops were saying was not sincere, or what they said was not their own thoughts?Q: Nothing at all. I'm just asking why it was necessary to coach them.MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, in terms of the event earlier today, the event was set up to highlight an important milestone in Iraq's history, and to give the President an opportunity to, once again, express our appreciation for all that our troops are doing when it comes to defending freedom, and their courage and their sacrifice.

That's a long one, I know. But it's important.

I heard about this all day. People were making fun of Bully Boy and it's like even this planned Operation Happy Talk is something Bully Boy can't pull off these days. You know he was all like, "Karl, it's your ass for this!" Karl's all, "I can't keep going in front of the grand jury!" And Bully Boy's all into treating his buddy like the hired help. Probably snappy at Karl over his weight because Bully Boy hates fat people. He works hard to keep his girlish figure and then Karl walks in looking like the Fat Man from Jake & The Fat Man. Now that Karl's best laid plans are going up in smoke, you know Bully Boy is pissed and thinking Karl's lost it.

At work people were talking about how Bully Boy can't talk and looks like an idiot even when he's fed the questions ahead of time. They were going on about how embarrassing he is for the country and how we're a laughing stock every time he opens his mouth.

So even preplanning everything, Operation Happy Talk still peters out.

McClellan Says Helen Thomas Against War on TerrorMeanwhile, during the same White House press briefing, McClellan declared that veteran correspondent Helen Thomas opposes what he called the broader war on terrorism. His comment came in response to her critical questioning of Bush's Iraq policy. Eventually ABC's Terry Moran jumped in defending Thomas. Here is some of the exchange:McCLELLAN: Well, you have a very different view of the war on terrorism, and I'm sure you're opposed to the broader war on terrorism. The President recognizes this requires a comprehensive strategy, and that this is a broad war, that it is not a law enforcement matter. Terry.TERRY MORAN: On what basis do you say Helen is opposed to the broader war on terrorism?McCLELLAN: Well, she certainly expressed her concerns about Afghanistan and Iraq and going into those two countries. I think I can go back and pull up her comments over the course of the past couple of years.MORAN: And speak for her, which is odd.McCLELLAN: No, I said she may be, because certainly if you look at her comments over the course of the past couple of years, she's expressed her concerns --THOMAS: I'm opposed to preemptive war, unprovoked preemptive war.MR. McCLELLAN: -- she's expressed her concerns.

So they're beating up on Helen Thomas now? What's next, throwing her in Guantanamo Bay?Apparently she's not "with us" so she must be "against us" which must mean we should lock her up. Little Scotty sure was sure of himself, wasn't he? Like he's got a file on her he's reviewing. "I can pull up those remarks." Little Scotty's probably just having his tantrum cause his buddy Jeff Gannon Guckert isn't around. Good times. He and Jeff had good times. Jeff would pitch a soft ball question and Scotty would catch it. They were close. Now Scotty has to face real reporters and he misses his relief pitcher.

Sometimes an artist dies who has burrowed so deeply into our consciousness, we feel more than a tangible sense of loss; we feel pain. I felt this way when Miles Davis died. I felt this way when Sarah Vaughn died. I felt this way when comedian Bill Hicks died. And I feel this way right now, thinking about the death of playwright August Wilson at the all too young age of 60. Please read elsewhere for a full accounting of Wilson,s artistic canon and contributions. My knowledge of the dramatic arts would fit comfortably on an index card. I suppose I know Wilson won every award from the Tony to the Pulitzer. I know Wilson wrote each of his plays to represent a decade of the 20th century Black experience in the United States. I know all of this now.But in 1988 when I saw Fences on Broadway, all I knew was that I was 14 years old and thought going to a play would be as much fun as a shot glass of morphine. At the time, I was far more interested in [NY Mets Centerfielder] Mookie Wilson than August Wilson. I settled into my seat and assumed what anthropologists call "the slouch of the sulking brat, I had no idea that my every conception of theater, sports, and racism was about to be turned on its head.Fences takes place in the 1950s and revolves around the larger than life personality of Troy Maxson. Troy is a 53 year old garbage collector in Pittsburgh, fiercely proud of his ability to put food on his family,s table and a humble roof over their head. He is also someone whose life has been deeply scarred by the world of professional sports. Troy was a great Negro League baseball star who looks back on his experience with pride but also with a pulsing, breathing, resentment that he was locked out of Major League Baseball,s money and fame I've got stuff to do but I will post the thing from The Common Ills tomorrow (the Democracy Now! Headlines for the week, a selection, in Spanish and in Englihs).

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Good evening. We'll kick things off with Democracy Now! but I'll be flying solo because Dr. Elaine has group on Thursdays for the next few weeks (it may be six). I'm not calling her "Dr. Elaine" to make fun of her but because it just really hit me today that she is Doctor Elaine. I knew what she did for a living. And I think we even talked some about it in our interview that I did here. But I knew her as "Elaine" at The Common Ills like I knew Wally or anyone else. I'd read something she said there or in gina & krista round-robin and I'd think, she's smart. Then she started filling in for Rebecca and I knew she was new to blogging and I wanted to be sure she wasn't having any big problems so I'd call the number Rebecca e-mailed right before she left for vacation and check in. She is really smart and she's really nice but she was always Elaine and just a buddy and we'd talked about how she'd be missing one night because of this new group she's doing but it didn't really register with me and all until I got on to write. I think that makes her more cool. Not because she's a doctor but because she has that training and all and she's still real and down to earth. There was never like any "Hey kid! I'm a doctor! I can handle this." :DShe really is cool and she did a great job last night carrying the load for both of us so I could focus on the interview so thank you, Elaine.

Haiti To Delay ElectionsIn Haiti, interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue said that "technical problems" have forced the government to delay elections set for Nov. 20 by three weeks. If confirmed, the delay would be the second time the elections have been postponed. The elections will be the first since the elected government of President Jean Bertrand-Aristide was overthrown in February 2004.

Elaine and I talked on the phone today and I said, "What about Haiti?" and she said Ava had left a message on that for her. Okay, so we know the elections are being delayed again. What else do we know? Do you know that we forced Bertrand-Astride out of the country and that he says we kidnapped him? That's the truth. Hold on and we'll get to that in a bit.

U.S. Millionaire to Run in Haiti, But Not Jean-JusteMeanwhile, Haiti's Supreme Court has ruled a Haitian-born U.S. millionaire may run in the presidential elections. Dumarsais Simeus, owner of a Texas food services company, had been barred from the race because he is a U.S. citizen. Simeus called the decision "a victory for the Haitian people." Another prominent candidate, jailed priest Gerard Jean-Juste remains out of the race. Representatives of the Fanmi Lavalas, the party of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, tried to register him last month but were rejected on grounds he wasn't present himself. Amnesty International calls him a "prisoner of conscience."

See we grabbed Aristide and took him out of the country. Why? Because he wouldn't go along with our neoliberal programs that would betray his people is what he says. And now we'll let this guy who is not even a citizen of Haiti because he came over here and all for like over 40 years and became a citizen of the United States but we'll let him run.

And Priest Jean-Juste is jailed because while he was in Florida a murder took place in Haiti and the government is trying to say Father Jean-Juste is involved. But he was out of the country and he is a priest. He is really popular with the people so he returns to Haiti and is at a funeral and the police grab him and say then that they are grabbing him for his own protection but then they toss him in jail and have kept him there. They say he can't run because to run you have to fill out the paper work in front of them and can't have it turned out. But they won't let him out of jail to register and it's because he's popular and the United States doesn't want him to win. We want someone in another country that we can control and that will do our bidding.

C.I.: Thank you, Elaine. Now we go to Ava, of The Third Estate Sunday Review, with information on Haiti's upcoming elections.Ava: In Haiti, Aristide's Lavalas Family party would like to run jailed Catholic priest Father Gerard Jean-Juste as their party's nominee for the presidency. He has been barred from running. Dumarsais Simeus would also like to be president despite the fact that he's lived outside of Haiti, in the US, for over forty years. Marc Bazin, a former Prime Minister of Haiti, is claiming that he has the endorsement of the Lavalas Family party, a claim that some members of the party are rejecting. The BBC reports that in all there are thirty candidates vying for the title of president. Joe Mozingo, of The Miami Herald, reports that there are fears of corruption in the elections due to be held in November.C.I.: Ava, the reason being given for barring Father Jean-Juste, whom Amnesty International has declared a prisoner of conscience, from running is that every candiate must register in person?Ava: That's correct. And since he's been jailed for a crime many are skeptical of, he's unable to register in person. Roger Annis of Canada Haiti Action reported the following on September 14th:The foreign occupation forces in Haiti are preparing to stage three rounds ofelections -- municipal, national legislature and presidential. They hope this will give legitimacy to their neo-colonial rule. They are working intensely, and spending millions of dollars, to create a rightist political party with credibility -- if not in Haiti, then at least abroad. But so far, these elections fall short of having the appearance of legitimacy. Tens of thousands of Haitians have demonstrated for the return of their constitution and their elected government. They have shown they will not accept a sham election. Only 20% of the population, 840,000 out of 4 million people of voting age, have submitted to the occupiers' voter registration. Municipal elections that were planned for October 9 have been postponed to a later, unspecified date. The legislative and presidential elections have been scheduled for November 20.C.I.: Thank, you Ava. For those needing further information on Haiti, Democracy Now! has covered the region repeatedly and a starting point there would be the interview Amy Goodman conducted with Jean-Bertrand Aristide where he spoke of his ouster as a kidnapping backed by the US. We now go to Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills) for a report.

Beau e-mailed about Tracey's interview yesterday and wondered if she'd talked about anyone else. She did. She talked about C.I. and she talked about Betty. After the interview she said she wasn't sure C.I. would want any of that in and asked me to pull it. It was all nice stuff about C.I. and about Betty. The reason she pulled Betty's stuff was she was talking about Betty's kids, nice stuff again, but Betty's protective of her kids and Tracey's grandmother Ruth is the same. They have to be old enough to want to go into a Ruth's Morning Edition Report and they have to give their permission too. So Tracey asked if it was okay to pull the stuff on Betty too.

I think it was because people have a right to their privacy and Tracey wondered if it was okay then it might not be and even if it was okay with Betty or C.I. when they saw it, Tracey would still have to wonder until they saw it and I know from one time when I felt like too much might have been hanging out that I worried myself sick on that and that's no good for anyone.

Iraqis Agree to Last-Minute Constitution ChangeIn Iraq, negotiators have agreed to a last-minute change that will effectively allow for the constitution to be redrafted after elections are held in December. The deal was aimed to encourage Sunni support for the draft constitution, which will be voted on in a nation-wide referendum Saturday. The agreement would create a panel in the next parliament with the power to propose broad new revisions to the constitution. U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad took part in negotiating the deal, which the New York Times called "a major victory for American officials."

Report: 'Scooter' Libby Misled Prosecutors In CIA Leak CaseSpeculation is growing in Washington that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby aThis post got lost. I am so sick of Blogger and all it's problems right now. I go to publish and get a message "Blog Not Found." I hit recover post and that's the most that comes back. I'll put up the second item.

Report: 'Scooter' Libby Misled Prosecutors In CIA Leak CaseSpeculation is growing in Washington that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby and President Bush's top advisor Karl Rove could soon be indicted by a federal prosecutor investigating the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Investigative Journalist Murray Waas is reporting in the National Journal that Libby failed to tell the grand jury about a discussion he had with New York Times reporter Judith Miller in June 2003 - weeks before Plame's name first appeared in the press. Federal Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald only learned of the discussion after Miller announced last week that she had discovered a set of notes on the conversation. Fitzgerald, who has been investigating the case for nearly two years, has now asked Miller to testify again today before the grand jury. Meanwhile the Wall Street Journal reports Fitzgerald's pursuit now suggests he might be investigating not a narrow case on the leaking of the agent's name, but perhaps a broader conspiracy. The Journal reports at least part of the outcome likely hangs on the inner workings of what has been dubbed the White House Iraq Group which was set up to sell the Iraq war to the American public. Libby and Rove were instrumental in the group. Plame's name was leaked only after her husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, publicly revealed that the Bush administration had lied when it claimed Iraq was trying to purchase enriched uranium from the country of Niger in order to build nuclear weapons. Wilson has long accused the White House of outing his wife as an agent in an effort to smear him. We'll speak to Murray Waas in a few minutes.

Remember to go to Elaine's site because she's doing the commentary tonight because she knows I hate typing and it takes me forever.

Tonight I'm interviewing Tracey who is the granddaughter of Ruth of Ruth's Morning Edition Report. We met in D.C. during the protests. Tracey, what did you think of the protests?

Tracey: I couldn't believe how many people were there. It was just awe inspiring at times. You'd look around and think, "Wow." As you know, the media didn't give the impression that there would be a huge turnout ahead of time and after they acted like it was no big deal.

I know. Makes you wonder if they were there. Who gave the speech you enjoyed most?

I didn't know Jessica Lange's movies then. I've seen them since because my Dad loves her but I was wondering if you knew her movies when she was speaking?

I knew some. I know some. I knew Tootsie and she got an Oscar for that. I knew Hush which was with her and Gwenyth Paltrow. I knew Losing Isaiah with Halle Berry and there was one other one that I'm forgetting right now. She's on a farm.

Country?

Yeah. So I knew those movies and I actually knew another one. Her husband decides that he's a woman. My cousin Jayson and I watched that one on one of the cable channels. Normal is the name. I'm pretty sure that's the name. She was really great in that one.

You actually know a lot of her films.

Oh there's this one where she's defending her father against charges that he helped the Nazis and then she finds out he was a Nazi. That's another great one. It's kind of like Apt Pupil in a way. I don't remember the name though.

That's okay. I'll call C.I. later and see what the name is. [C.I. says the movie is called Music Box.] Was it fun in D.C.?

For me it was. It was a trip for me and Grandma and that made it special because it was something for us to do together and I always like it when we do something together.

Without your cousins?

Or siblings. Grandma's too great to share! This may be a funny story. You know this already but I'll go ahead and tell it. It was the rally Saturday and we were all doing interviews, remember? And people are cheering and I was sticking with C.I. and my grandmother because I was kind of nervous at first around all those people. And Jim comes running over and says something to C.I. and then C.I.'s asking where my grandmother is? At first I was thinking, "Has something happened to her? Or has something gone wrong?" And I can already tell I've blown the story because I left out about four things leading up to it and I can't tell a joke but I guess I can't tell a funny story either. The thing was Jim was interviewing one woman and she says she's there to protest the war and to meet up with her best friend Ruth.And we were all wondering when Treva would show up but Jim's the one who got to her first. So that was something. I blew the story. Forgive me?

You didn't blow it. Don't worry about trying to be funny. Everyone's heard so much about you and I'm sure they're all going to be glad just to read this.

Then it was just C.I. and me and I was nervous about interviewing people and wondering how we did that when, no more wonders, two girls come runing up.

Rhonda and Tami. They were so excited. When they were standing in front of us they just squealed and I squealed back. It was a great way to let go of being nervous. I really liked them. I wish all the interviews were like that because sometimes we'd get someone and they didn't have much to say. Rhonda and Tami had a lot to say. We could have done a full story with just them. I thought they were cool.

I wish I had met them.

Next protest. They say they're going to everyone of them. They also said that they will bring Rhonda's mother around. She's the only one of their parents that still won't say the war is wrong.

Well, I didn't know you were so tall. You gave your height but I don't know that many people that are really tall. One of my uncles is five feet ten and we all think he's tall but you're taller than that. Everyone was so nice. I'll say Kat's hair because she really does have amazing hair and I'll say you were hard on your sister yesterday making fun of her grooming time!

She laughed.

Good for her. Hair can be a big deal.

You don't spend a lot of time on your hair?

Well it's wavy and, when it's dry, it's right on my collar so there's not a lot of work to do. I just wash it and go most of the time. I'll run a comb through it to keep it from getting rats and tangles. I do not brush it. That either flattens it or makes it fly all over the place. But your parents showed me pictures of your family and your sister has really long hair. Just drying it probably takes a long time so cut her some slack. I wish my hair was curly too. She has great hair.

She puts in the time for it. How proud is everyone of Ruth?

We are so proud of her. She was really sad after my grandfather died and that was hard to see because I don't think I'd seen her sad before. Not like that. They were married a long time and they really loved each other so it was really hard on her to lose him. It was hard on all of us but after a few weeks, I think everyone was just concerned about her. She's a great cook and we all go over on Sundays but we all go over during the week. You can't step through the door without her asking if you're hungry and whipping you up something. But she wasn't eating that much and she lost a lot of weight. It was really hard on her. She took it real hard.

She talks about Jayson being gay.

That was one of the things that brought her back around. This is my belief and she may disagree but I think when Jayson said he was gay it was like, "Okay, my grandson is going to face some tough times over this and he needs his grandmother." She was starting to come around already. And like I showed her The Common Ills a little while after Treva took her on a trip to try to cheer her up and Treva helped and the family helped and The Common Illsgot her thinking and talking. They had a computer but she wouldn't touch it. My grandfather had tried to teach her how to play around on it but she was nervous around them. So one day we were talking about different stuff and at first that was me talking and she'd nod. Then after awhile she'd start talking with you about a current event and that was a good sign because she always follows the news. But I was talking about Iraq and she said something about how smart I was and how did I get so smart. So I told her about The Common Ills, I think it was the thing about the marriage, where the US and Iraq are married, and she liked that. Then a day or two later, she asks me about that again and I tell her about it but also tell her she can get online and look it up. She kept stalling and then I started making a point when I went over to boot up the computer and pull up stuff and call her over. Then one day she says, "Okay, show me how to use the computer." And that was great because she really only had NPR and the paper for news and they weren't telling her anything about reality. So before I know it, she's telling me about this site or that site. And she loves Rebecca's site. Rebecca reminds her of Treva. She may have found out about The Third Estate Sunday Review before I did. I'm not sure. But she knew all the sites pretty soon. I kept telling her to write C.I. and she did a few times and C.I. always made a point to write back. Probably because her e-mails were personal like her Ruth's Morning Edition Reports. But then C.I. mentioned NPR and that was it. She wrote C.I. and I see her the next morning after her thing goes up, not the first Ruth's Morning Edition Report but the thing where she sounded off about NPR in her e-mail. I hadn't been to The Common Ills since it went up and I didn't know about it. She pulls me to the computer and asks if she made sense. I was shocked. Of course she made sense but I was really proud of her. And I think it was really great of C.I. to put her whole e-mail up there. It really meant a lot to her. Then she started with the Ruth's Morning Edition Report and I'm just so proud of her and we all are.

She really is great. I bet it was hard to see her depressed because she just seems like the most up and alive person.

Well she's a celebrity now. All her friends read her. We all read her, in the family. I don't think she realized how much she meant to everyone.

The thing that surprised me the most about her is that she's not that old.

She thinks she's old. Amy Goodman's grandmother passed away last week and Grandma goes, "Okay, so maybe I'm not that old?" She's not that old. And she has more energy than most of my friends. She'll be saying, "You just sit around all summer? That's all you do?"That's to one of my friends who isn't that energetic. She'd tell her, "You got to live. We've got to find you something you're interested in."

Did she find her something?

Oh yeah. That's why we're all quilting right now.

Last question, what do you think is next for the peace movement?

Well . . . based on what I see at school and the reaction to my going and the young people I saw there, I think you're going to see it grow a lot more. There's this one guy at my school who still defends Bully Boy Bush. Everyone else has pretty much had it with him and his war of choice that's killing so many people. I hear a lot of outrage. I hear a lot of what we heard in D.C. actually. And people my age are tired of the papers and TV and radio with their weak coverage and their inability to state the obvious: we need to bring them home now. You write about recruitment and if my school is any indication, 2005 is not going to be the bad year for recruiting totals. 2006 will be worse and 2007 even worse than that. The war is a lie and we don't want to die for a lie. If he starts another war or tries to, I think you're going to see this huge movement appear overnight. There were a lot of kids and teachers who told me when I got back that they wish they could have gone. I think he's boxed in and if he tries for another war the growth is going to come overnight in the anti-war movement. It's already out there, the feeling of support for it, and it will grow on its own. But if he wants to jump start it, all he needs to do is try to start one more war.

Okay, that was my last question but I also like to ask if there's anything you wish I had asked?

Music. I love the White Stripes too. I'm getting into Jack Johnson because Elaine was playing him in D.C. I love, love, love Ani DiFranco. My aunt just turned me on to Poe and I'm really into that CD too. I have no use for Sheryl Crow and think she looks like an idiot everytime she talks about Lance Armstrong. I also think she needs to fix her hair or cut it because it's a mess. Ask your sister, I bet she'll back me up. I am now into Joan Baez because of Kat's review and Kat better steer me to some more good music. That's it.

Thank you, Tracey.

My apologies to Seth of Seth in the City. I had an excerpt from him I was posting but I've had to retype the interview with Tracey twice now and I hate typing.

I had a nice conclusion here. I had my links to Ruth's Morning Edition Reports and all this other stuff and my tags and now it's all gone and I'm tired and just want to go to bed. I'm not C.I. who can get by on two hours of sleep or none. There are times when I'll doze off when we're all working on The Third Estate Sunday Review. So I'll do a few tags and pull a Kat and say it is what it frigging is.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Arrest Warrants Issued for Ex-Iraqi OfficialsAlso in Iraq, arrest warrants have been issued for several officials from the US-backed interim government of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. According to the Associated Press, five ministers -- including Allawi's defense minister Hazem Shalaan -- are among 28 ex-officials accused of misappropriating one billion dollars in military funds. Most of the officials have already fled the country.

Who put Allawi into place? We did. We ignored the rumors of him killing jailed Iraqis, we looked the other way about him being Chalabi's cousin. We are the occuyping power and we did nothing to ensure that the funds were going where they were supposed to. This is our screw up.

New Poll: 59% of U.S. Wants Troops Out of IraqMeanwhile, a new CBS News poll shows that 59 percent of Americans want US troops to leave Iraq as soon as possible, even if the country is not completely stable, an increase from 52 percent last month. Iraqis are four days away from voting in a nation-wide referendum on a new constitution drafted by the transitional government.

But little bitty minds will say, "Gosh guys, you know we broke it so we have to fix it." They can't get it through their little bitty minds that we haven't fixed dick and we won't fix it. How many years are they willing to committ to the misguided occupation before they wake up. Polls demonstrate that Iraqis don't want us over there. We don't want to be over there. But it's the little bitty minds that keep us there.

The military will now be taking more recruits who get low scores on military aptitude tests. Until now, the armed forces have been admitting no more than 2% of the recruiting class from enlistees who get a Category IV score, the lowest test score above a failing grade. That'll be upped to 4%."The Department of Defense is clearly getting desperate for new recruits," Representative Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) of California told MTV.com. Eshoo has co-sponsored a bill dubbed the Student Privacy Protection Act of 2005, which, if passed into law, would change a provision in the No Child Left Behind Act that allows military recruiters easy access to student information courtesy of their high schools.

CounterRecruiter is a great site that covers issues that I care about and that readers who have e-mailed care about. Since the last time I noted them, they've put up a lot of important stuff so check it out.

I can do even better for you Leigh Ann, I called C.I. to ask about the entry and C.I.'s not crazy about. It was written because 15 members had e-mailed on it this morning. Juan Forero gives C.I. a headache to begin with but C.I. was feeling under the weather anyway this morning and already running back and forth between the computer and the bathroom to throw up ("repeatedly"). That's why you only have 2 non New York Times links in the two morning posts.

I'm sure having to address Juan Forero didn't make C.I. feel any less sick this morning but the entry was a big hit in my house with my sister going around all day singing "Little Juan . . ." to the tune of Madonna's "Promise To Try." She's really into Madonna and excited about Madonna's new CD that comes out soon so let me put that in because she says all her friends ask why I never mention her much. Here's one reason - when I started this she asked me not to mention her by name. She was all, "I'm really popular and I don't want you using my name to become some little internet star." :D

Right cause the whole web is just waiting to hear about my high schooler sister and who she's dating this week! :D

She's going to be pissed when she reads this so let me say something nice before she decides to live in the bathroom - she really already does. She has very pretty hair. She spends hours on it to make it pretty! :D

Let me be serious and stop talking about her hair, if I listed all her hair products, she would be so mad!

I will say this though, why does she do the ponytail thing at least once a week? She's not in the bathroom in less on those mornings? Elaine wrote a thing about how women wear a pony tail when there's no more time for anything else or something like that so I asked her about and she goes that just cause my sister comes out with a pony tail doesn't mean she intended to. Like she was probably in there trying to get her hair to do something and finally gave up and just went with a pony tail.

(And remember to check out Elaine because we're doing the same 2 items.)

I never wear a pony tail. :D Seriously though, my hair is short and I run my fingers through it if that. I drop my drawers, hop in the shower, lather up, rinse off, dry off, brush my teeth and shave in less than 6 minutes. My sister's in the bathroom for an hour some mornings and "quick" to her is like being in there half an hour. What's she doing in there all that time? That is her real nose, right? She's not like having to glue on her nose and her ears is she?

If you ask my siblings who've moved out they'll tell you no 1 was like my sister when they were living at home and how good that was because we're a big family and we've only got the 2 bathrooms.

Sometimes when I'm banging on the door she'll scream for me to go use our parents' bathroom and I'll be, "All my junk's in there." I can't shave without my razor and my folks use Prell and if I use that shampoo my hair is just this huge, fluffy ball. I'll look like that Marx brother who couldn't talk! I'll be like, "Just pass me my shampoo" and she'll be, "I am putting on my make up!" When she finally gets done, it doesn't look like she's spent all that time putting on make up and she goes "That's what takes so long!" :D

She's really a good sister. I tease her but she's okay. I'll even put in, because I'm sure she's bragged to her friends in high school about this, that Tony told her she looked really good a few weekends ago. She probably went to school going, "College men like me!" :D

She is pretty. But Tony knows she's under age and my sister so she better not be hoping to date him or any of my friends.

I'm trying to think of something nice to say about her other than her great hair but come to think of it, that'll probably be enough for her. She'll read this and give me a dirty look, then sigh and say, "At least you mentioned my hair." :D

Speaking of great hair, Kat's going to be writing something about D.C. She tried before and lost the post and got really pissed but she said she was going to try again so look for that.

Monday, October 10, 2005

Thousands Take Part in Silent Peace March in LAIn Los Angeles, thousands gathered on Saturday for a silent peace march led by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by Martin Luther King Jr. Among those in attendance was Cindy Sheehan, who lost her son in Iraq last year.

I think that's really great that so many people turned out and I think it's great that someone who is so historically part of the peace movement was leading the march. And I love and respect Cindy Sheehan. Other than that I don't have anything to say. Elaine and I are doing the same two things and she said she'd try to find some stuff and maybe call C.I. for suggestions. We heard about this on Democracy Now! and that's what's so great about Democracy Now!because you get this stuff that you won't hear about in like The New York Times or Boston Globe. I used to be okay with the Globe and then either The New York Times bought it or else maybe they already owned it but for like fifteen months now, I just feel like the paper's gone really downhill. Ma still likes Ellen Goodman but otherwise she's usually done with the paper in about five minutes these days. She says she'd rather read one of her magazines and she and Dad get a lot of magazines. So like she'll read The Nation from front to back but the Globe doesn't have much in it these days. Which is why we're all lucky to have Democracy Now!

Environmentalists Criticize Selection of IAEA For Nobel PrizeA number of environmental groups and activists are criticizing the Nobel Peace Prize committee for awarding this year's Prize to the International Atomic Energy Agency and its chief Mohammed ElBaradei. The French group, Sortir du Nucleaire (Get Out of Nuclear) criticized the IAEA for "promoting" civilian nuclear plants. British commentator George Monbiot said the prize to the IAEA and its boss was a "reward for failure in an age of rampant proliferation." Greenpeace also criticized the selection.

This one I did know about. Or I knew about the award. I didn't know about their being any objections to it. I think it was David Corn who was talking about how it was good because it was in terms of Bully Boy's push to war and I can see that point but I didn't know that they were promoting nuclear plants.

I don't know what to think because both things have their points.

I guess the short term good is that it will be harder for Bully Boy to blow off the IAEA if he tries to invade Iran or North Korea. But long term, I don't see any good of this other than maybe historically when people look back on this years in the future and go, "What an idiot Bully Boy was because he didn't listen to the people who won the Nobel Peace Prize."

I got some e-mails saying they liked Maria's thingthis weekend. I like it too and think all the links to Democracy Now! help. Maria's really cool and I'm always interested to see what she's picking out for the week. Sometimes Miguel does it or Francisco. If that was your first time seeing it, I should tell you that it goes up at The Common Ills every weekend. Usually on Fridays but no later than Saturdays and then it gets put up at The Third Estate Sunday Review too.

Links help with a site's popularity and stuff so I was real happy to repost it.

Here's my part of "The Third Estate Sunday Review News Review" and I went first because I was the closest to finished first. I was telling Dona I could use about five more minutes but she goes C.I. would probably be able to fill in what I couldn't. C.I. did too which is why C.I. is the anchor.

C.I.: Welcome to The Third Estate Sunday Review News Review 10-09-05. The news review is the brainchild of The Third Estate Sunday Review's Dona and we do it in one hour time frame. This is rough transcript. We'll have reports on nature and the environment, entertainment news, a commentary on Bully Boy's latest chat buddy and news on what's happened to The Smurfs. I'm not kidding on that last item. This is a news review for the left. First up, Iraq. We begin with Mike of Mikey Likes It!Mike: In Baghdad, a killing spree is taking place and Hala Jaber of The Sunday Times of London reports that speculation is the killings are linked to the Iraqi police force. The speculation is that "ethnic cleansing" is going on and that Sunnis in the Shi'ite neighborhoods, specifically Sunni men married to Shi'ite women are being killed. Claims of "insurgents" being targeted are weak when you consider that one of the men assassinated, Najah al-Rassam, worked for "interior ministry’s Maghaweer special police force." al-Rassam was pulled from his bed by the police, taken to the Badr Brigade for confirmation and then killed.C.I.: To jump in here for a moment, the Badr Brigade is the paramilitary group of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. They've been accused, including by Allawi, of killing intelligent officers at the behest of Iran. While Saddam Hussein ruled Iran, the Badr Brigade was stationed in Iran, a composition of Iraqi exiles, but they returned to Iraq following the 2003 invasion. Along with the report you're addressing, they've also been accused of targeting British troops. How many Sunnis have been reported killed?Mike: 22. And they were not turned over to their families. The 22 bodies were found in the desert, wrists still restrained by handcuffs, plastic and metal, or ropes. There are concerns that a civil war is emerging. The 22 men were all blindfolded and had been killed via gunshots. The bodies were dumped in the desert and that's something that should be concerned whenever reports come out of a newly discovered group of bodies. A total of 539 bodies have been found at present. The tensions come as Iraq prepares to vote on their constitutional referendum and measures are being imposed including curfews and border closings as the election approaches.C.I.: Thank you, Mike. Now we go to Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix with further thoughts on the Iraqi Constitution.

That's just my part, there's a lot more there so check out the news review.

Before we can talk about whether campus recruiters should leave, we have to make sure there can be a debate. At George Mason University, specifically, the students have to fight for the freedom of speech just to protest the presence of the recruiters. Last Thursday, Tariq Khan, a student there who served for four years in the Air Force, simply stood inside the student center with a handful of pamphlets and a small sign taped on his chest. He shared on the sign his personal experiences with the recruiters: they lie. It said, "Recruiters lie. Don't be deceived."Khan just stood there, mostly silent. He offered his literature to anyone who asked for it. Before he knew it, a ROTC student and his side-kick, a lumpy right-winger, were yelling at him. With foam coming out of their mouths, they called him a "pussy." They talked with enthusiasm about the thrill of getting to kill Iraqis. The ROTC student grew angry with Khan's calm demeanor. Several people tried to intervene by joining the debate. Finally, the ROTC student grabbed the sign and ripped it. Khan calmly began to write another notebook paper-sized sign.Campus security arrived and told Khan he was violating school policy by being there. Instead of arresting the ROTC student for assault and the willful destruction of property, the officer sought to remove Khan for "tabling" outside of the area where tabling is permitted. Khan did not even have a table with him.Khan refused to leave, believing the Constitution protected his right to just stand there. The officer began to handcuff him. Khan did not resist, but he did not comply. He saw it rightfully as an unjustified arrest. Soon, some freedom-loving students were chanting "kick his ass," and a few actually helped the officer subdue Khan. Though he was non-violent the entire time, they caused him several injuries. A witness saw the officer "putting him in a headlock, choking him, and then proceeding to throw him against the stage." He was later charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct.I wonder if the recruiters who reeled in Khan fresh out of high school fed him the fancy talk about defending our freedom--the same freedom that got him a gash on his forehead. They probably just told him about the great marketable skills he would learn, and all the money he would get for college. Instead, they had him cleaning bathrooms and doing menial labor--the type of work that requires no skills and no plans for comfortable living. And the money his four years of service brings him is not quite enough to pay for four years of college.. . .[ Will Youmans has a blog: www.kabobfest.com. He contributed a chapter to 'The Politics of Anti-Semitism.' ]And I want to also note 1 more thing. It's from Democracy Now! and it's about Amy Goodman's grandmother who passed away last week, "Sonia Bock 1897-2005: Amy Goodman Remembers Her Grandmother, a Woman of Three Centuries:"

Amy Goodman's grandmother, Sonia Bock, died October 5, 2005 at the age of 108. She was born in 1897, in Ruvno, Poland. She lived through the pogroms of Tsarist Russia, the Bolshevik revolution and the Holocaust.I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who wrote in last week to express sympathy on the loss of my grandmother. Sonia Bock died October 5, 2005 at the age of 108. Yes, she was indomitable: a woman of three centuries.She was born in 1897, in Ruvno, Poland. She lived through Tsarist Russia, the Bolshevik revolution, the Holocaust. Though many in her family did not. Two of her brothers and their whole families perished. I remember my mother telling me the wail. The wail that went up in the bungalow colony that my grandparents my mom and her sister went to every summer. The wail when my grandmother got the news that her family had been killed. She came to America by boat in 1929. In 1930, she gave birth to my mother in Harlem with my grandfather, an orthodox rabbi.In her fifties she contracted cerebral meningitis and was sent to a sanatorium in the Catskills. Not expected to live, she cut everyone's hair and was out in two years. She was an unusual mix of old fashioned in her views of women. "You must always be independent," she would say. "When your husband comes home meet him with a hug and supper, then give him the newspaper to read, but you should have already read it. Then discuss it with him. Communication is everything." She was the eternal student. She spoke four languages: Russian, Yiddish, Hebrew, English and was always taking conversation classes in French. At about 4 foot 10 inches tall, she was a pint size fireball. A life force. My heart. I'd like to share a poem that I also read when my father died. I don't know who wrote it:Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning s hush, I am the swift uplifting rush, of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft star that shines at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there. I did not die.Sounds like she had an incredible life and saw a lot of amazing things.

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About Me

I'm Michael, Mike to my friends. College student working his way through. I'm also Irish-American and The New York Times can kiss my Irish ass. And check out Trina's Kitchen on my links, that's my mother's site.